Motorcyclists

Fact
Fact sheet
sheet #3
#1 of 13

Safety standard
All new installations of road safety barriers (including terminals) shall be fitted with
motorcyclist injury countermeasures, such as rubrail, suitable to the barrier type,
taking into consideration fauna movements.

Safety countermeasure
Around half of all fatal motorcycle-barrier crashes in Australia involve the
motorcyclist sliding along the ground. In sliding impacts, the trauma is
often caused by impact with the vertical posts of barriers.
Road safety barriers have been proven to reduce crash risk and outcomes
for people in vehicles, and are typically designed for light passenger
vehicles. However, barriers do not account for the vulnerability of
motorcyclists.
Risk management principles are embedded in Transport and Main Roads’
Generalised hazard assessment process* which states that if a roadside Figure 1: Safety barrier with a rubrail
hazard cannot be removed or relocated then it should be redesigned so
that it presents a reduced level of severity to all road users.
Countermeasures that can reduce the severity of outcomes for
motorcyclists when they collide with road safety barriers include:
• Rubrails (Figure 1) which are additional rails attached on the lower
section of the guardrail system so that motorcyclists
do not directly hit the vertical posts.
• Devices covering sharp edges, such as a post or barrier end terminal
caps and covers (Figure 2). Figure 2: Barrier end terminal cover
Where there is a site-specific risk associated with the provision of under-

18%
run, for example, where wildlife may become trapped on the roadway, of road fatalities
or a build-up of debris increases the risk to motorcyclists, a break in the and serious
under-run may be provided. Rationale for breaks in the under-run will be injury crashes
documented in an Engineering report. from 2016 to 2020 involved
motorcyclists. However,
Safety outcome motorcycles represent only
5% of registered vehicles
Rubrails are estimated to reduce crash severity for motorcyclists by up to on Queensland roads.
25% compared to untreated guardrails.
* Road Planning and Design Manual (RPDM) 2nd edition Volume 3 Part 6 Roadside Design, Safety and Barriers
** Fauna Sensitive Road Design Volume 2.
This fact sheet is designed to assist the implementation of 13 safety standards for new and upgraded infrastructure
on Queensland’s state-controlled roads, as per the department’s Road Safety Policy (2018, Appendix A).
While every care has been taken in preparing this publication, the State of Queensland accepts no responsibility
for decisions or actions taken as a result of any data, information, statement or advice, expressed or implied,
contained within. To the best of our knowledge, the content was correct at the time of publishing.